


Reprieve

by Kolivans (arka_r)



Series: Ad Meliora [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Voltron Rarepair Flash Bang 2018, dark!allura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 06:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16080710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arka_r/pseuds/Kolivans
Summary: When Allura summoned him to her inner sanctum, Zarkon immediately answered her call.





	Reprieve

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Voltron Rarepair Flash Bang](https://voltronrarepairflashbang.tumblr.com).
> 
> Big shoutout to [Giabella101's](http://giabella101.tumblr.com) amazing illustration for this fic and [Revasnaslan](http://revasnaslan.tumblr.com) for the amazing beta work!
> 
> [Check the illustration here.](http://giabella101.tumblr.com/post/178394824932/im-so-excited-to-show-the-first-piece-i-did-for)
> 
>  
> 
> [Also my tumblr](https://xblackpaladin.tumblr.com/)

When Allura summoned him to her inner sanctum, Zarkon immediately handed over his work to his trusted commanders. It wasn’t like he was doing anything important at the moment—the search for Voltron Lions was still slow going. It didn't matter; he would tear the Universe apart to find them. He would leave no planet overlooked and unconquered.

 

But for now… his mistress called him.

 

Allura’s inner sanctum resided at the very center of his ship, where the Darandu Temple resided. The hallway that led him there was dimly lit and littered with Altean acolytes who worked to keep the Temple tidy. They bowed to him as he walked past, his cape billowing behind him. The priestesses, on the other hand, barely paid him their attention, so Zarkon ignored them. They were loyal to Allura only, since they were her quintessence given physical form.

 

It was her power of life and creation that made her worshipped as a deity, a Goddess of Life and Death to the Galra. It was ironic, Zarkon thought. Her power was a rarity even among the other Alteans; and yet, she was scorned because of it.

 

“She’s waiting for you”, a hiss came from his right. Zarkon turned and found the small figure of High Priestess Haggar. Most of her hideous face was obscured, only the golden glow of her eyes was visible from underneath her hood.

 

Unlike the other priestesses, Haggar used to be a living biological being—an Altean, and a dear friend of Allura since childhood. She was killed by Alfor at the Fall of Daibazaal, but brought back to life by Allura.

 

Just like she brought _him_ back to life a long, _long_ time ago.

 

 _Unlike_ him, Haggar was merely a shadow of her past self. She remembered nothing of the life before her death. Still, Allura loved her and kept her around as a trusted confidant. They were working on the quintessence research together to unlock many of its possibility—and Zarkon would never be caught dead admitting that he was _jealous_ of their closeness. Allura might be his consort, but she was his _Goddess_. He held no power over her, let alone to forbid her from forming relationship with others.

 

Still, Zarkon couldn’t help a small scoff from escaping him, as Haggar unlocked the inner sanctum with a quintessence-charged hand. She seemed unaware of his distaste of her, as usual. Once her duty done, she slunk back into the shadows. Zarkon shook his head, before he entered.

He heard Allura’s melodious giggles before he found her sitting amidst the purple grass. Her skin was dark and void-like, the ethereal glow of quintessence was visible under her skin—the same glow also appeared on her eyes, as luminous as the brightest star. Her silvery hair spilled all around her like a pond of mercury, tended by a handful of her Altean acolytes.

 

Zarkon observed her from the distance. All four of her arms were folded neatly to support her head, her claws gleaming like the sharpest blades. Her acolytes were telling her something that caused her to laugh—he couldn’t hear what it was and he couldn't imagine what kind of tales the acolytes were telling her. Surely nothing interesting, as the acolytes were raised by the Temple since birth.

 

Well, it seemed to amuse Allura, at the very least.

 

 

“Quit dawdling and join me already”, Allura chided suddenly, making Zarkon jolt in surprise. Several millennia had gone by and she still managed to catch him off-guard.

 

“I am not dawdling”, Zarkon countered with a small smile. “I enjoy admiring you from a distance.”

 

She shooed her handmaidens, who bowed to her and him before scurrying away. Now that they were finally alone, she turned her attention to him fully, her massive stature looming above him.

 

“Wouldn’t it better to admire me up close?” she asked, offering one of her hands for him to sit.

 

“Indeed”, Zarkon rumbled, gathering her hair in his hands and began to idly braid it. She didn’t stop him, so he continued his work.

 

“How’s the progression of Komar?” he asked. Allura made an admonishing tut.

 

“None of that talk about work”, she said. _Not so good, then_ , Zarkon surmised. He wasn't surprised—while he didn’t fully understand the science of it from Haggar’s reports, he knew that draining life from an entire planet was way too different than draining the life force of the remaining Sacred Altean.

 

“How about you tell me about your commanders instead?” Allura said, making Zarkon chuckle in amusement.

 

“I thought you do not wish to talk about work”, he teased with a grin on his face.

 

“That’s different”, Allura waved her hand. “Your court is so petty and _funny_.”

 

Zarkon supposed her amusement made perfect sense. His commanders, essentially his court, would present a unified front in his presence. Without him around, though, they would immediately attempt to strangle each other’s necks to gain his favor—like the time Morvok tried to one-up Sendak in their search for the Voltron Lions. He told this tale to Allura, who laughed at Morvok’s self-inflicted misery.

 

“And that’s why I demoted him to the outermost region of the Empire”, Zarkon ended his story, just as he finished braiding Allura’s hair.

 

“Close to Ranveig’s territory?” The glow of quintessence under Allura’s skin brightened in a flash, like it usually did when she was happy. “That’s a clever way to get rid of him.”

 

Zarkon shrugged as he tied a ribbon he was carrying at the end of Allura’s braid. Rebels ran afoul on the distant reaches of the Empire. If Morvok met his unfortunate end at the hand of the rebels, it was what he deserved. If he won and conquered the territory, Ranveig would deem it an insult and take over the area. Either way, it didn’t make a difference to Zarkon himself.

 

Time passed quickly as Zarkon continued to regale Allura with tales about his commanders. In turn, Allura told him about her work on Komar—about her frustration as she and Haggar met yet another dead end.

 

“If only we have access to the Rift”, Allura sighed in defeat and lay on the grass, her head resting on her elbow. Her eyes sparkled as she talked. “Can you imagine, an unlimited supply of quintessence. All of that potential, to strengthen our Empire and connect our people.”

 

Zarkon felt a sharp, familiar pain of betrayal radiating from his right shoulder, where his prosthesis connected to his flesh. He still could feel Alfor’s sword slicing through it even millennia later. Alfor had made sure he destroyed the Rift once he deemed Zarkon and Allura’s relationship too dangerous. And to do that, Alfor had committed the ultimate crime: he destroyed the home planet of the Galra.

 

“Do not lose hope yet, my love”, Zarkon cajoled as he caressed her cheek gently. “Thanks to Sendak finding the Red Lion, we now can track down the unique signature of the other Voltron Lions. With it, we can reopen the Rift once again.”

 

This seemed to appease Allura and a smile began to curl on her lips.


End file.
